


Headlights on Dark Roads

by ndnickerson



Category: Nancy Drew - Keene
Genre: Drama, F/M, Nancy Drew Files, Pre-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-28
Updated: 2009-12-28
Packaged: 2017-10-05 10:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ndnickerson/pseuds/ndnickerson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ned somehow ends up accompanying Nancy to Harrington House one dark night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Headlights on Dark Roads

**Author's Note:**

> This is the conversation I used for the inspiration for this story, from Files 10:
> 
> "Remember that time we took a walk in the moonlight at Harrington House?" Nancy asked.
> 
> Ned smiled. "Yeah. We saw the caretaker's flashlight moving through the trees and decided it was John Harrington's ghost. You ran halfway down to the road before you remembered we had a car."
> 
> "Well, I seem to remember you were right on my heels," Nancy replied, playfully punching his arm.

"Nancy..."

"I'm not going to talk to you."

"Don't hang up, don't hang up! Nancy, come on, please. I came all the way here for the weekend, to talk to you."

Ned was at his parents' house, slumped over in his desk chair, cradling the phone to his ear, waiting for Nancy to hang up on him. Like she had the past twenty times he'd called.

Nancy sighed loudly into the phone. "I have plans tonight, Ned."

Ned looked down at his watch. "So maybe you have time before?"

"No."

Ned ran his hand through his hair. "Nan, you _have_ to give me a chance to explain."

"No, I don't. I don't need to hear your lies about why that girl was practically sitting in your lap. I already have a pretty good idea."

"It wasn't like that."

"I was there! I saw it!"

"We were going over a math assignment! On the same sheet of paper!"

Nancy snorted. "That is the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

"Are you going to the movies with Bess and George tonight? Maybe I could come by and see you after?"

"You think I'll believe it in person? Ned..."

He reminded himself that, even though her voice was so sarcastic it was almost making his head hurt, at least she was talking. At least she was still on the phone.

"Does this mean you want to break up with me?"

She was quiet for a minute. "No," she admitted.

"So let me come see you tonight."

She considered. "Pick me up at nine," she finally conceded. "Wear black."

\--

"So what are we doing here?"

Nancy glanced over at Ned. "Waiting," she replied.

Nancy's hand was between them, on the seats. Ned looked down at it. Probably too soon. "For what?"

They were sitting in his car, on the edge of the road. There was only one house on this road, but it had been deserted for a while. As far as he could tell, there was nothing to see, except the full moon, bright over the trees. Which gave him an idea.

"People have been seeing strange lights up here," she admitted.

"You mean in the house?"

"Yeah."

"But, no one lives here..."

Nancy nodded. "Exactly."

"So... what, a ghost?"

Nancy glanced through the passenger window, and he saw the incredulous look on her face in the reflection. "There's no such thing as ghosts."

Ned reached for her hand. "So, until the lights show up..."

Nancy looked back at him, down at their hands, but didn't pull hers away. "I need some air," she said.

"Great idea."

He reached for her hand again when she started for the path through the woods. "Nancy, I would never cheat on you."

She looked down. "You looked awfully comfortable with her."

Ned shrugged. "She's a cheerleader."

"And you're a frat boy."

"And that automatically means..."

She glanced at him. "Are you trying to say that you joined just for the community service?"

"You know I'm not like that. Just because she's a cheerleader doesn't mean she was trying to seduce me, and just because I happen to be a member of a fraternity..."

"I guess... that when I saw her that close to you..."

"That maybe you got a little jealous?"

Nancy's steps slowed until she stopped, and Ned turned to face her, bringing her chin up so that her eyes would meet his. "A little," she said. "I mean, you may not know this, and maybe I haven't told you recently, but... you are a rather attractive guy."

"Rather?" He grinned, in spite of himself.

"Very," she amended, grudgingly. "Very attractive. I've seen the way girls look at you. I know how _I _look at you."

"Go on," he said, when she trailed off.

"I wanted to be the girl practically all over you," she muttered.

He stroked her cheek. "And I want you to be that girl," he replied. "There's no one else for me."

She smiled. "So, if I happen to drop by again...?"

"I would love for you to drop by. Anytime. Especially next weekend, there's going to be a dance at the frat."

Nancy reached for his hand and started walking again. "Okay," she said, smiling. "Now, we really need to focus. I was thinking that maybe if we find something reflective around here, the moonlight could be shining off, visible down at the road, maybe headlights or something..."

Ned nodded. "Right... you just totally looked for anything to do while you were avoiding my phone calls, didn't you."

She squeezed his hand. "Don't flatter yourself."

"You've done enough of that for me," he teased her. "Unless, I don't know, a lot of people have been carjacked on this road, or the strange lights made someone drive over the cliff...?"

"No," Nancy admitted. "Just... just some strange lights."

Ned chuckled. "You are transparent, Drew."

"Besides," Nancy said, turning around and walking backwards while facing him, "it meant that we got to take this romantic walk, didn't it?"

Ned took a long step forward and caught up to her. "Can't complain about that," he said, catching her in a kiss. "How much longer are we going to be up here looking for these phantom lights? Is your father going to be waiting up for you?"

"I take it all back," she said, laughing. "Frat boy."

He kissed her again. "That's a no, then."

She ran her fingers through his hair, then swung away from him, to walk by his side again. "Down, boy. We're not leaving yet."

They walked in companionable silence for a while, until Ned turned to her, his eyebrow raised. "Wasn't there... an accident, the cliffs..."

"Yeah. I think we weren't even born yet."

"And there's no such thing as ghosts," he repeated. "So we're not here looking for a ghost. Not at all. Not even a little bit."

Nancy nodded resolutely. "We're looking for pie pans or hubcaps or..."

"Vengeful spirits."

"Do you ever do homework, or do you just watch Scooby Doo reruns?" Nancy kicked at a rock, smiling. "Because I, for one, hate to be called 'some meddling kid.'"

Ned smiled. "Me too."

When they trailed off again, he listened to the wind make its low mournful sound through the trees, looking up at the big house. It was familiar, somehow... something about his parents, something about them... He fought the shiver creeping up his spine.

"John Harrington," he remembered suddenly. "At the bottom of the cliffs. Fell to his death from that tower window up there."

"Stop it," Nancy said. "Look, I'm already..."

"Freaked out," Ned finished. "Maybe we..."

But Ned didn't get to finish his sentence. Nancy raised her hand, slowly, and her finger was shaking slightly. "Ned," she breathed.

Ned followed Nancy's finger, his eyes widening, his jaw falling open. "What the hell is that," he whispered.

Nancy's fingers tugged from his and then they were both running as hard as they could, down the hill, and he could even feel the branches sweeping over his bare arms, the rocks under his feet. Nancy's hair was gleaming, flowing behind her, and he had never seen her run so fast.

"Nancy!" She didn't even slow at his shout. "Nancy, where are you going, the car..."

Without missing a beat she turned and he followed, afraid to look over his shoulder, afraid to slow down. By the time they reached the car they were both out of breath, and he fumbled in his pocket for his keys, his hand trembling slightly.

And then Nancy was laughing, leaning against the passenger side window, her face flushed, her blue eyes gleaming. "What are we doing," she gasped, still shaking a little. "There's no way that's really..."

Ned finally found his car key. "Do you want to stay and find out?" he asked, slipping it into the lock.

She almost, almost glanced back over her shoulder, he could see it in her eyes, but she shook her head, hard.

"No," she said. "It was the watchman's flashlight. The moonlight on the windows of the house."

Ned grinned at her. "Right."

They slipped into the car. "And we're not going to tell anyone about this," she said. "Are we."

Ned started the car, shaking his head. "I promise not to mention it if you don't."

She smiled. "I'd almost suggest that we head over to Flanders field, but I think I've had as much moonlight as I can take..."

The tires spun in the gravel before catching, and Ned sighed in relief when they were finally around the next curve, and the house wasn't looming in his rearview mirror. "And that's the last time I come along on one of your little trips."

Nancy tilted her head back against the headrest and turned to gaze at him. "Do you wish I didn't take you along on these little trips?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't give them up," he said, and she smiled, slowly, and it lit up her whole face. "Not for worlds."


End file.
